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Draft:Suspension of the Joe Biden 2024 presidential campaign

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Influential Democrats and major news outlets have called for President Joe Biden to suspend his 2024 United States presidential campaign following the first debate of the 2024 United States presidential election between Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, and presumptive Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump.

The Democrats asking President Biden not to run for a second term include current and former members of the U.S. Congress, and current and former Democratic Party statewide officials. The newspaper editorial boards asking Biden to stand down from his campaign include The New York Times, The Boston Globe and the Chicago Tribune, with a number of prominent Democratic Party donors and supporters also asking for a different candidate to represent their party in the 2024 presidential election.

Background

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Before the June 27, 2024 debate and before his presidency, there have been concerns about Biden's age.[1] On a couple of occasions during the 2020 campaign Biden called himself a "bridge candidate", leading some to believe he would not seek a second term.[2] When Biden first took office at the age of 78 on January 20, 2021, he became the oldest person to have served as president of the United States.[3] Calls from Biden supporters to step aside months or years before the debate were made by James Carville,[4] Ezra Klein,[5] and the Economist.[6] Biden was 81 during the June 27 debate, while Trump had turned 78 years old weeks prior.

First presidential debate

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The first debate between president Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump was held on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at 9:00 p.m. EDT in CNN's studios at the Techwood Turner campus in Atlanta, Georgia. In the aftermath of the debate, many called for Biden to drop out of the presidential race to allow for a different Democratic candidate to be picked at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. The influential Washington Post termed Biden as “unable to complete sentences, often spoke haltingly and, at times, seemed confused about what question he was trying to answer.”[7] Biden was described as being weak and frail following the debate.[8] A poll conducted by CBS News/YouGov found that 72% of voters did not believe Biden was capable of being president.[9][10][undue weight? – discuss] Some close to Biden have said that he appears cognitively worse than he did a year ago.[11]

Public support for President Biden to suspend his campaign

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Former 2020 Democratic presidential primary candidate Andrew Yang called for Biden to step down after the debate.[12] On July 2, U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first Democrat in Congress to publicly call for Biden to step aside as the party's nominee.[13] He was joined by various Congressmembers in the following days. 24 former Democratic Party members of the U.S. Congress called on Biden to release his delegates and hold an open Democratic convention in a July 12, 2024 letter.[14] The New Republic described a widespread view among voters that Biden should step aside.[15]

List

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Main article: List of Democrats who oppose the Joe Biden 2024 presidential campaign
Groups and individuals calling for President Biden to end his campaign
U.S. senators
Former U.S. senators
U.S. representatives
Former U.S. representatives
Statewide officials
Former Statewide officials
Former executive branch officials
Notable individuals
Newspaper and magazine editorial boards
Advocacy groups

Response by Biden

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Biden has refuted any possibility of him dropping out, saying only "the Lord Almighty" could convince him to drop out in an interview with ABC News held on July 5, after the first debate. Biden further affirmed his intent on staying in the race at a campaign rally in Madison, Wisconsin.[70]

On July 5, Biden met with Democratic governors across the country with the majority saying he should also remain in the race.[70]

 
Biden's July 8 letter to Congressional Democrats

He wrote a letter to Congressional Democrats on July 8, reiterating that he would not end his candidacy.[71] The same day, he called in to the MSNBC show Morning Joe and called for any prospective challengers to "run against me. Announce for president, challenge me at the convention.”[72]

On July 11, Biden responded to a question whether he would step aside if polling data showed Kamala had a better chance of beating Trump by saying that he would only step aside if he had zero chance of beating Trump.[73]

Democrats who have expressed concern

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Some Democrats have not taken a strong stand, expressing concern. As of July 12, 2024, 22 members of Congress have expressed concern in addition to the 20 who have called for Biden to step down.[74]

Support for President Biden to continue

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At least 35[74] prominent Democrats have publicly reiterated support for Biden following the debate:

Senate Democrats

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Conferences

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The Washington Post reported that U.S. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia was attempting to assemble a group of Democratic Senators to pressure Biden to withdraw from the race.[80] On July 7, top Democrats, including minority house leader Hakeem Jeffries, held a rare party conference on the matter.[81] On July 9, the full House Democratic Caucus and the Senate Democratic Caucus each held respective meetings to discuss Biden's place on the ticket.[82]

On July 11, 2024, Biden held an hour-long solo press conference following the NATO 2024 Washington summit in order to demonstrate his capability to face Donald Trump in the 2024 election.[83] Notably, Biden made two major gaffes, confusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with Russian President Vladimir Putin[84] and then mistakenly referring to Vice President Kamala Harris as "Vice President Trump."[85] Later that evening House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries met with Biden expressing "the full breadth of insight, heartfelt perspectives and conclusions about the path forward that the Caucus" discussed earlier in the week.[86]

References

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  1. ^ Faguy, Ana (June 30, 2024). "Biden allies defend president as poll suggests growing age concern". BBC News. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  2. ^ Saric, Ivana (July 3, 2024). "How Biden went from "bridge" candidate to two-term hopeful". Axios. Between the lines: Biden's campaign comments likely signaled that he was only running because of who his opponent was, Anthony Fowler, a professor at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy, told Axios. "You could argue he's trying to kind of have it both ways. He's trying to kind of tell people, 'Don't worry, I'm only running for one term,' without ever actually explicitly promising that," Fowler said.
  3. ^ Helmore, Edward (November 20, 2020). "Happy birthday, Joe: 78-year-old Biden to be oldest US president to take office". The Guardian. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  4. ^ Berry, Jason (July 2, 2024). "James Carville calls on Democratic party to 'deliver change' and replace Biden". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Klein, Ezra (February 16, 2024). "Democrats Have a Better Option Than Biden". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  6. ^ "Joe Biden should not seek re-election". The Economist. November 10, 2022. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  7. ^ Pager, Tyler; Scherer, Michael; Balz, Dan (July 10, 2024). "Biden should provide evidence he can beat Trump, Democratic leaders say". The Washington Post. ...Biden was unable to complete sentences, often spoke haltingly and, at times, seemed confused about what question he was trying to answer. Democrats panicked over the performance, raising questions about his ability to serve another four years as president and renewing questions about the 81-year-old's mental acuity.
  8. ^ Morris, G; Rogers, Kaleigh (June 27, 2024). "Biden's biggest weakness -- his age -- on full display at debate: ANALYSIS". ABC News. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  9. ^ Waddick, Karissa. "More than 70% of voters say Biden doesn't have mental, cognitive health to serve, new poll says". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  10. ^ Salvanto, Anthony; Backus, Fred; De Pinto, Jennifer; Khanna, Kabir (July 1, 2024). "Increasing numbers of voters don't think Biden should be running after debate with Trump — CBS News poll". CBS News. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  11. ^ Abutaleb, Yasmeen; Dawsey, Josh; Sacchetti, Maria; Hudson, John; Diamond, Dan (July 6, 2024). "Biden's aging is seen as accelerating; lapses described as more common". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Hanrahan, Tim; Tucker-Smith, Owen (June 27, 2024). "Former Candidate Andrew Yang Says #SwapJoeOut". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Miller, Maya C.; Edmondson, Catie (July 2, 2024). "Lloyd Doggett, a Texas Progressive, Cracks the Democratic Dam for Biden". The New York Times. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  14. ^ Ferris, Sarah (July 12, 2024). "24 former Dem lawmakers to Biden: Allow an open convention". Politico.
  15. ^ "We Learned Everything We Needed to Know About Biden in 1988". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  16. ^ Weaver, Al (July 10, 2024). "Welch becomes first Senate Democrat to publicly urge Biden to withdraw from race". The Hill. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  17. ^ Miller, Andrew Mark (July 1, 2024). "Longtime Biden Senate colleague calls for 'new candidate' after Biden debate performance: 'Disaster'". Fox News.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "Democrats want Biden to end his candidacy". The Bridgetown Museum and New Jersey Advocate. July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  19. ^ VanderHart, Dirk (July 10, 2024). "Oregon US Rep. Earl Blumenauer calls on Biden to abandon reelection bid". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  20. ^ "Case joins growing list of Democratic lawmakers calling on Biden to end re-election bid". Hawaii News Now. July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  21. ^ Nace, Aki (July 6, 2024). "Rep. Angie Craig calls on Biden to drop out of 2024 presidential race". CBS News. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  22. ^ Schnell, Mychael (July 3, 2024). "Second House Democrat calls for Biden to withdraw from presidential race". The Hill. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  23. ^ https://www.wtnh.com/news/politics/connecticut-congressman-jim-himes-calls-on-biden-to-drop-out-of-race/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)|title=Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes calls on President Biden to drop out of race|work=WTNH|date=July 11, 2024|accessdate=July 11, 2024|last1=Lepore|first1=Juliana}}
  24. ^ McCarthy, Mia (July 12, 2024). "Another battleground Dem calls on Biden to withdraw". Politico.
  25. ^ Suter, Tara (July 4, 2024). "Third House Democrat says Biden should bow out of presidential race". The Hill. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  26. ^ Brunner, Jim (July 11, 2024). "Gluesenkamp Perez suggests Biden step aside, doubts 'fitness' for office". Seattle Times. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  27. ^ Dorn, Sara; Bushard, Brian (July 12, 2024). "20th Democrat In Congress Urges Biden To Drop Out: Here's The Full List". Forbes. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  28. ^ Adragna, Anthony (July 12, 2024). "18th Hill Dem calls on Joe Biden to drop reelection bid". Politico. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  29. ^ Colton, Emma (July 10, 2024). "Failed Dem Biden challenger breaks silence on president's spiraling electability: 'Deeply disappointed'". Fox News. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  30. ^ Irwin, Laura (July 5, 2024). "Illinois Democrat becomes latest House member to call on Biden to exit race". The Hill. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  31. ^ Schnell, Mychael (July 10, 2024). "Vulnerable House Democrat calls on Biden to step aside in 2024 race". The Hill. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  32. ^ Nazzaro, Miranda (July 11, 2024). "Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider says Biden should step aside". The Hill. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  33. ^ Spangler, Todd (July 11, 2024). "Scholten is 1st Michigan member of Congress to call for Biden to step down as nominee". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  34. ^ Nazarro, Miranda (July 9, 2024). "Rep. Mikie Sherrill calls for Biden to withdraw". The Hill. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  35. ^ Sforza, Lauren (July 8, 2024). "Senior House Democrat urges Biden to withdraw from race". The Hill. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  36. ^ "Here are the Democratic lawmakers calling for Biden to step aside in the 2024 race". CBS News.
  37. ^ Valencia, Peter; Welch, Dennis (July 11, 2024). "Arizona congressman Stanton pulls support for Biden hours before pivotal news conference". KTVK. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  38. ^ Shoaib, Alia; Bickerton, James; Lewis, Kaitlin; Stanton, Andrew (July 2, 2024). "Full List of Democrats Calling on Joe Biden to Step Down". Newsweek. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  39. ^ Ryan, Tim (July 1, 2024). "Kamala Harris Should Be the Democratic Nominee for President in 2024". Newsweek. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  40. ^ "New York lieutenant governor calls for Biden to step aside". Politico.
  41. ^ a b c Yurow, Jeremy (July 8, 2024). "Hawaii's governors divided over Biden's 2024 presidential bid after debate flop". USA Today. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  42. ^ "Former Gov. Kunin says Biden should bow out". July 5, 2021. Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  43. ^ Axelrod, David (July 6, 2024). "Opinion: Biden's defiant delusion". CNN. Archived from the original on July 10, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  44. ^ Barber, Rachel (July 2, 2024). "Former Rep. Tim Ryan comes out against Biden, says Harris should take his place". USA Today. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  45. ^ a b c d Hale, Erin (July 12, 2024). "Which Biden allies have called on him to quit the US election race?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  46. ^ Berry, Jason (July 2, 2024). "James Carville calls on Democratic party to 'deliver change' and replace Biden". The Guardian. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  47. ^ Kurtz, Judy (July 10, 2024). "Top fundraiser George Clooney abandons Biden: 'The dam has broken'". The Hill. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  48. ^ Schwartz, Brian (July 4, 2024). "Disney heiress, wealthy Democratic donors say they won't finance the party until Joe Biden drops out". CNBC.
  49. ^ Robertson, Nick (July 3, 2024). "NYT's Friedman: Biden needs to ask himself if Trump wants him to stay in race". The Hill. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  50. ^ a b c d e Scherer, Michael (July 5, 2024). "Business leaders, pro-Democracy activists send letter asking Biden to withdraw". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  51. ^ Schleifer, Theodore (July 3, 2024). "Netflix Co-Founder Becomes One of the Biggest Democratic Donors to Call for Biden to Step Aside". The New York Times. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  52. ^ Harris, John F. (June 29, 2024). "The Media Establishment Lays on the Horn: Joe Must Go". Politico. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  53. ^ Kinnard, Meg (July 12, 2024). "Actor Ashley Judd, a Democratic activist, adds her voice to those calling on Biden to leave the race". Associated Press. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  54. ^ a b Sharf, Zack (July 8, 2024). "Stephen King Says Joe Biden Must Step Down; Rob Reiner Agrees: 'It's Time to Stop F—ing Around' Because 'We Lose Our Democracy' If Trump Wins". Variety. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  55. ^ Wilkens, Kathryn (July 5, 2024). "New York Times Columnist Nicholas Kristof on Why Biden Should Drop Out: 'I Think We Can Get a President Who Is Coherent in the Evenings'". Mediaite. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  56. ^ Ladden-Hill, Dan (June 28, 2024). "The New York Times Columnists Biden Cares About Tell Him to Go". The Daily Beast. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  57. ^ Senter, Irie (June 28, 2024). "'This can't continue': Biden-sympathizing columnists urge him to step aside". Politico. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  58. ^ Lincoln, Ross A. (July 3, 2024). "Damon Lindelof Calls on Democratic Donors to 'Dembargo' Until Joe Biden Drops Out of the Presidential Race". The Wrap. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  59. ^ Boykin-Patterson, Eboni (July 9, 2024). "Michael Moore: Keeping Biden In Race Is 'Elder Abuse'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  60. ^ Sforza, Lauren (July 11, 2024). "Democrat who beat Biden in American Samoa calls for president to step aside". The Hill. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  61. ^ Teshome, Eden (July 12, 2024). "'Pod Save America' hosts speaking out against Biden because 'stakes are so high': Vietor". The Hill.
  62. ^ Irwin, Lauren (July 6, 2024). "Marianne Williamson presses Biden to withdraw: 'We need to recalibrate quickly'". The Hill.
  63. ^ Fortinsky, Sarah (June 30, 2024). "AJC editorial board calls for Biden to exit presidential race". The Hill. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  64. ^ Garrity, Kelly (July 3, 2024). "Boston Globe editorial board calls on Biden to end his campaign". Politico. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  65. ^ Barber, Rachel (July 1, 2024). "Major newspapers call for Biden to drop out after debate". USA Today. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  66. ^ "Joe Biden should not seek re-election". The Economist. November 10, 2022. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  67. ^ a b Robertson, Nick (June 30, 2024). "These major media outlets have called for Biden to drop out". The Hill. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  68. ^ Gecsoyler, Sammy (June 29, 2024). "New York Times urges Joe Biden to drop out of presidential race". The Guardian. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  69. ^ Friedman, Lisa (July 12, 2024). "A Leading Environmental Group Calls on Biden to Step Aside". New York Times.
  70. ^ a b Long, Colleen; Kim, Seung Min (July 5, 2024). "Biden dismisses age questions in interview as he tries to salvage reelection effort". Associated Press. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  71. ^ Mascaro, Lisa; Miller, Zeke; Kim, Seung Min (July 8, 2024). "Biden tells Hill Democrats he won't step aside amid party drama: 'It's time for it to end'". Associated Press. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  72. ^ Gangitano, Alex; Samuels, Brett (July 8, 2024). "Biden dares other Democrats to challenge him at the convention: 'I'm getting frustrated by the elites'". The Hill. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  73. ^ Levitz, Eric (July 12, 2024). "The bar for Joe Biden should not be on the floor". Vox. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  74. ^ a b Han, Jeongyoon; Fung, Hilary (July 12, 2024). "Who is backing Biden? We're keeping track". NPR.
  75. ^ Carnahan, Ashley (July 11, 2024). "Fetterman doubles down on support for Biden amid calls for him to withdraw: 'He's been a great president'". Fox News. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  76. ^ a b c "Inside Biden's sputtering campaign to restore Dems' confidence". Politico. July 13, 2024. The paltry show of support for Biden behind closed doors revealed that for all the indecision about whether and how to confront Biden, elected Democrats' confidence in the president had plunged to a ruinous low...Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, the two lawmakers facing the toughest reelection bids, did not attend. Just two days earlier, they told colleagues they no longer believed Biden could win. Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada, another Democrat facing voters in a battleground state this fall, expressed concern to Biden's aides over whether the president can win her state.
  77. ^ Kapur, Sahil (July 10, 2024). "AOC and Sanders stick with Biden amid 2024 turmoil and push him on a bolder agenda". MSNBC. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  78. ^ "'Enough!': Sanders calls on Democrats to stop infighting and back Biden". Politico. July 13, 2024.
  79. ^ Axelrod, Tal (June 30, 2024). "Coons: Biden is 'the only Democrat who can beat Donald Trump'". ABC News. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  80. ^ Caldwell, Leigh Ann; Goodwin, Liz (July 5, 2024). "Sen. Mark Warner works to gather Senate Democrats to ask Biden to exit race". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  81. ^ Schnell, Mychael. "Senior House Democrats say Biden should step aside during private call". The Hill. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  82. ^ "Senate Democrats emerge from party meeting stuck in limbo on Biden". Politico. July 9, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  83. ^ "White House roasted for saying Biden will give a 'big boy press conference'". The Independent. July 9, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  84. ^ "Biden introduces Zelenskiy as 'President Putin' at Nato summit'". The Guardian. July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  85. ^ "Biden calls Kamala Harris 'Vice-President Trump' at Nato press conference". The Guardian. July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  86. ^ Solender, Andrew (July 12, 2024). "Hakeem Jeffries tells Democrats he relayed their concerns to Biden". Axios.
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